The cast of sleeping beauty
JORDANA JAMES (Belle)
Jordanna James is a body positive traveling dancer, model, and performer! She began her New York City stage experience with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! Jordanna continued performing with her burlesque troupe, Sass n’ Betties, performing all around the city and touring in Guam. She then moved on to perform with Miley Cyrus on her European Bangerz Tour before returning home to NYC to perform in the Broadway revival, Sideshow. Jordanna continues to perform at various venues throughout the city while promoting health, fitness, and body positivity! When Jordanna is not on stage, she can be found spending time with friends and family (and pup), dancing, kickboxing, or planning her next adventure!
ROYSTON SCOTT (King Crimson)
Royston Scott is a graduate of NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing, where he mentored with Anne Bogart. He acted in Reza Abdoh’s Tight, Right, White in NYC and Europe. Venues performed at include the Public Theatre, Symphony Space, P.S. 122, La Mama, Pyramid Club, Gene Frankel Theatre, and the Irvington N.Y. Town Hall. Companies worked with include, En Garde Arts, Chashama, and Bated Breath Theatre. He is a member of Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre. His original films have screened in NYC, LA, Berlin, Paris, and Bangkok. His documentary The Sara Spencer Washington Story won several accolades, including the Paul Robeson Award from the Newark Museum. Royston is overjoyed to be working with such a terrific cast and crew on this show.
VIVA LAMORE (Good Fairy)
Viva Lamore is a Taiwanese-American writer, actor, and director working in theater, film, and burlesque. Born in the East Village, she started working in downtown NYC theater as a teenager. Early producing credits include several plays by notable gay writer James Purdy, among them SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS starring Laurence Fishburne. More recently, she staged the seminal Asian-American play PAPER ANGELS outdoors in San Francisco's Chinatown and won Best of the SF Fringe; lugged a thousand books to HERE Art Center for DISPOSSESSED, a one-person play about her eviction from her East Village apartment; and cavorted about the Berliner Festspiele in Taylor Mac's 24 DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC. For three years, Viva was the host and director of Berlin's cheekiest monthly burlesque, The Full Moon Cabaret (VAULT Festival in London, ★★★★★ Edinburgh Fringe). A Sundance finalist screenwriter, she currently writes obscure history for Atlas Obscura. She is the host of FORGOTTEN HISTORY, a historical web series in vintage drag. @vivalamore_nyc
JENNI GIL (Lucky Lopez)
Jenni Gil is a New York native, born and raised in the Lower East Side. She is super excited to be returning to the Abrons Arts Center where she discovered her love for theatre as a teenager. She’s delighted to be returning to the world of pantomime. Previous panto credits include Jack and The Beanstalk (Jack), and Dick Rivington & The Cat (Lilliana). She thanks God for all her accomplishments, and all the people who have supported her along the way.
“Gracias mi gente, los amo!”- Jenni
MATT ROPER (Prince Charles)
A British-born, Brooklyn-based creature of the night, Matt Roper is an acclaimed variety performer and a staple of NYC's downtown scene. His diverse career has led him from the muddy fields of the Glastonbury Festival to the damp back-rooms of the Edinburgh Fringe, and from the cafés of Central Europe to New York's Lincoln Center and beyond. He has toured the world with his musical powerhouse alter-ego Wilfredo — under the guise of which he appears late-night at the Slipper Room in the Lower East Side. Sleeping Beauty marks his eighth appearance in pantomime. @MrMattRoper
JON RODRIGUEZ (Nanny Lopez)
Jon is ecstatic to be back at Abrons after having trained here as a teen. He performed in various shows with Abrons’ Urban Youth Theatre and got his first big lead as Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors when he was 15. Favorite roles since: In the Heights (Usnavi & Piragua U/S) and La Cancion (Star) at Repertorio Español. You can follow his Tik Tok personality @tabithaskyalmonte for a few laughs from your favorite tia/auntie.
MUFFY STYLER (Evil Queen Karen)
Muffy Styler is a NYC based jazz singer, vaudevillian and actor. OffBway: Outside Inn at 59E59, Sleep No More at The McKittrick. Chuck Mee’s Fire Island, Vaclav Havel’s Hunt for a Pig, The Curse of the Mystic Renaldo at 3 Legged Dog. Iphigenia in Aulis, and When Clowns Play Hamlet at La MaMa. Much Ado About Nothing directed by Everett Quinton.
Europe and Regional: Dance of the Vampires directed by Roman Polanski, Jekyll and Hyde, Fame, Falsettos, Hair, Wonderland, Rocky Horror Show, Dames at Sea, A Christmas Carol, Wonderland, The Elephant Man. Solo work: Love und Greed, “smart and theater Savvy” NYTIMES. Recent: The Last Cyclist, aired on PBS for Theater-Closeup. Training: NYU Experimental Theater Wing. Clown with David Shiner. Muffy was honored to have been a voice student of the late Barbara Maier Gustern. Muffy is a variety show emcee at The Slipper Room and plays with her jazz combo at Bathtub Gin and in the spring/summer season on the Manhattan by Sail vintage yachts. @muffnjazz
EKATERINA SKNARINA (The Perminator)
Who is Miss Ekaterina? She's been crowned Miss Coney Island, climbed out of a giant clam, floated inside a snow globe on a lake, served drinks in a backbend, rode a motorcycle on a high wire, appeared in Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe" – & still finds time to play Mom to two cats. Born in Russia, where she trained as a rhythmic gymnast (she was once a member of the Russian National Team), she joined the Antigravity dance troupe before moving to New York City. Ekaterina is one of the busiest variety performers on the scene, entertaining people all over the world. www.missekaterina.com
MARICO (Lucy Goosey/Puppeteer)
Marico, originally from Japan, she is a Clown, Physical Comedian and Actor based in NYC. She was touring with Ringling Brothers from 2012 to 2017(final show).
She won the best supporting actress at the Syracuse Area Live Theater award for the role of Snoopy in the Redhouse Production of “The Charlie Brown Christmas”(2019). Marico performs in many different places such as Orchestra Theater productions, and collaborates with live music in both NY and Japan. She is currently working with Bindlestiff Family Circus, Hospital Clowning with Healthy Humor and Improv Game show BATSU! Instagram @onlythismarikoiwasa717
STEFANIE GIL (Court Announcer / Chorus)
Stefanie Gil was born and raised in the Lower East Side. She graduated from Brooklyn College with her BFA in Acting. Where she did various productions, Detroit 67 as Bunny, Reckless as Pooty, Royal Jelly as Jane and many more. She has had the pleasure to be apart of Jack and the Beanstalk, and now is excited to be back and a part of Sleeping Beauty.
SUMMER PARKS (Chorus)
Summer Parks is a Biracial Queer Woman from the DMV area who moved to New York City to expand her performance career. As a young child Summer always enjoyed dancing. She took one dance class at the age of four and the rest was history. In Maryland, she performed on the Washington Commanders football field for the halftime show and was showcased on WNBC TV News because of her joy for acrobatics. While in New York she has performed on many stages including; The Iridium, Latin Plug Club, Sybarite showcases, and many others. Summer even got the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles and perform at the Carnival showcases for two years in a row! Summer is super excited to work with The Panto Project and touch the many hearts in the audience to motivate them to be on stage one day!
PATRICK PRIDE (Chorus)
Patrick Pride is a NYC-based dancer & performer. During his high school years in Tennessee, he discovered his passion & love for dance & the theater. He graduated with a BFA in Dance at Austin Peay State University. Soon afterwards, he performed in various musicals around the Nashville area, became a company member for Found Movement Group (a Contemporary-based Dance Theatre Company in Nashville), and taught dance at a local dance studio. During the summer of 2020, Patrick decided to risk it all and move to NYC to further pursue his dance career. During his time here, he has danced in music videos & dance projects. He also danced for AP Dance Inc. (a Brooklyn Dance company). In 2022, he became a Company member for the New York Baroque Dance Company where he performed at the Kennedy Center. He is also a company member for Skin Dance Company, a NYC-based dance company. Patrick is very excited to be a part of Sleeping Beauty!
QUIANNA DAVIS (Chorus)
Currently residing in NYC, Quianna, also commonly known as Kiki, is a 25 year old commercial dancer. She began her dance journey from the young age of 9, after being introduced to NDI (National Dance Institute) joining their S.W.A.T. team. Later on, she began navigating the classical world training in styles such as ballet modern and jazz. After completing high school and graduating with her arts diploma , she transitioned into the commercial upon entering college. She joined her schools hip hop dance team as both a dancer and choreographer , and has been training at some of NYC's most renowned studios such as BDC and Ripley Grier ever since. She fell in love with the Street Jazz , Reggaeton and Hip-Hop styles, working with artists like Cilla Ramos and hasn't looked back since!
YAN DIAZ (Chorus & Swing)
Yan-Carlos Diaz (Chorus/Swing) He/She. Yan Is a Puerto Rican actor based out of NYC who loves prioritizing new works and celebrating Latinx voices on stage. A graduate from AMDA NY. Some Favorite Regional credits: Carla• In The Heights (Rubicon Theatre CA), Carla• In The Heights (Colorado Springs PAC), Performer• Broadway Easter Bonnet (Minskoff Theatre NY), Houdini• Ragtime (Axelrod Theatre NJ), Hedwig• Hedwig And the angry inch (Henegar Center). As a genderqueer artist, Yan promises to keep in their work, no matter where on the spectrum they lie, is to make each character beautifully complex and as simply human as they are.